VI. 



WHEAT. 



I. WEEDS, FUNGOUS DISEASES AND INSECT ENEMIR... 



138. Weeds. — A great variety of weeds occur in the wheat 

 field which may reduce the yield or injuriously affect the qualit}'" 

 of the grain. In general they are to be avoided by those con- 

 ditions which best promote the growth of wheat, and by sowing 

 wheat that is free from foreign seeds. 



There are a few species of plants that are so associated with 

 the raising of wheat as to deser\'e special mention. The pres- 

 ence of a considerable quantity of any of these weeds in a wheat 

 field must, of course, somewhat reduce the yield of wheat But 

 the principal injur}% perhaps, is in the reduction in the quality of 

 the grain, due to the presence of the weed seeds. 



(1) Chess or cheat {Bromiis sccalinus L.) 



(2) Darnel {Lolium temidentiini L.) 



(3) Cockle {Ag7'ost£imna githago L.) 



(4) Wild garlic {Alliutn vineak L.) 



(5) Wheat-thief {LitJiospemmm arvense L.) 



139. Chess. — Chess belongs to a different tribe {FesUiceae) of the grass family 

 from that of wheat {Hordeae)^ which Includes, also, some of our best known pasture 

 and meadow grasses. It is an annual and so closely resembles wheat while young 

 as not to be distinguished from it by the ordinary obser\-er. It will stand more cold 

 than the wheat plant, is not attacked by insects especially injurious to wheat, is a 

 less A-igorous grower than the wheat plant, but is much more prolific than wheat 

 •when its development is not prevented by the gTO%\i:h of the more \'igorous wheat 

 plant. The author sowed one pound of chess on one-twentieth of an acre and 

 reaped ninetj'-nine pounds of seed. A single plant has been known to produce 3,000 

 seeds. The seeds which adhere to the paleae are so small that a pound of chess 

 may contain as many seeds as a bushel of wheat. Experiment has shown that chess 

 seed will grow when sown, and that the young plants can be distinguished from 

 wheat plants. It has also been showia that when wheat only is sown in clean ground 

 only wheat is obtained; that when wheat and chess are sown both wheat and chess 



